Level Up (A5E) Fighter Specialization: Best Maneuvers

[Stalker0]

While combing through the maneuvers, I developed my list of maneuvers I think are really good for Fighter's to specialize in.

Ultimately the best specialization have several traits from this list:

• 2+ exertion cost
• Allows multiple attacks (to maximize the +2 damage per attack)
• Uses a saving throw.
• General/Spammable Maneuvers (as opposed to more niche ones that will see less use)
• Scalable, aka a maneuver I will keep forever and not swap out (technically you cannot retrain specializations by the letter of the RAW)

So here is my short list:

1st Tier

• Catch your Breath: Doubles your healing with this maneuver, if your focusing on toughness this is great.
• **Lean into It: Checks all the boxes.
• Striding Swings - This is a maneuver I could use quite a lot especially at lower levels, and its still a useful one later on.
• Mounted Charge - If your doing a lot of open field combat, you can get a lot of use out of spamming this one.

2nd Tier

• Twist the Blade - What's nice about this one, is because you get the damage bonus on the triggering attack, you actually get double the benefit since you know its a crit. However, this is not a scalable maneuver if you plan to extend your crit range.
• **Stunning Assault - This may be the GOAT maneuver for specialization, checking all the boxes on the list. At 3 exertion its sometimes a bit pricey, but at 2....I would use this all day everyday.
• Primal Intercept - Decent one to spam extra attacks.

3rd Tier

• Missile Volley - Lots of attacks and reduced exertion cost = lots of bonus damage.
• Heightened Reflexes - Getting +2 reactions for 1 exertion opens up a lot of combos.
• Whirlwind Strike - Similar to Missile Volley
• Instinctive Counterattack - One exertion for a straight up extra attack with +2 damage, oh yeah.
• Disarming Assault - Decent for more damage and better disarm.

4th Tier

• Spinning Parry - Probably rare for a Fighter to specialize in a mist and shade maneuver, but this one is pretty solid. 1 exertion makes this very spammable, and a bonus on stun dcs is never bad.
• Mistaken Parry - Its all about the parries at 4th tier!

5th Tier

• Blinding Strikes - Spammable blind with extra damage sounds pretty good. At 2 exertion this maneuver becomes a lot more generally useful.
• Tidal Parry - Helps the spam and the save to avoid damage, so pretty solid.
• United we Stand - If you rule that all attacks the maneuver generates triggers the damage bonus, than this one can generate a whole lot of damage.
• Furious Barrage - Makes the really damage maneuver even more high damage.

 

[Stalker0]

One cool combo for "double specialization" is Heightened Reflexes + Instinctive Counterattack (requires 15th level fighter).

Heightened Reflexes provides extra reactions which are converted into attacks with Instinctive Counterattack.

1 exertion = +1 attack (just IC)
4 exertion = +3 attacks (HR + IC)
6 exertion = +4 attacks (HR + IC, max HR)

And all of these attacks have +2 damage. Probably the strongest "damage nova" for maneuvers that I find in my quick searching.

For those scoring at home, a super high level fighter with +6 prof bonus could make 6 attacks a round for 3 rounds straight, all with +2 damage (which would probably be a big THW)

Now at 20th level, you can choose instinctive counterattack to be free. That turns into

0 exertion = +1 attack
1 exertion = +3 attacks
2 exertion = +4 attacks

Such a fighter can make 7 attacks a round for 6 rounds straight. Now that's 20th level!

 

[Anonymous3]

One cool combo for "double specialization" is Heightened Reflexes + Instinctive Counterattack (requires 15th level fighter).

Heightened Reflexes provides extra reactions which are converted into attacks with Instinctive Counterattack.

1 exertion = +1 attack (just IC)
4 exertion = +3 attacks (HR + IC)
6 exertion = +4 attacks (HR + IC, max HR)

And all of these attacks have +2 damage. Probably the strongest "damage nova" for maneuvers that I find in my quick searching.

For those scoring at home, a super high level fighter with +6 prof bonus could make 6 attacks a round for 3 rounds straight, all with +2 damage (which would probably be a big THW)

Now at 20th level, you can choose instinctive counterattack to be free. That turns into

0 exertion = +1 attack
1 exertion = +3 attacks
2 exertion = +4 attacks

Such a fighter can make 7 attacks a round for 6 rounds straight. Now that's 20th level!

Apologies if this is necro-ing your post but it did peek my interest.

Is this strategy viable for a 10th level fighter? I haven't yet played using the LU system and from experience numbers on paper can be very different to those at a table.

Here are my numbers assuming:

• specialization in both Heightened Reflexes and Instinctive Counterattack
• base weapon damage only
• crits not included in calculations
• all attacks hit
• Total Exertion pool: (4x2) +2 (from Reserves) = 10.

Two Hand Weapon - greatsword	Maneuver	Exertion	Average damage
Action	Extra Attack (two attacks)	0	13
Bonus	Heightened reflexes	2
Reaction	Instinctive Counterattack	4	(4*2)+(4*6.5)=36
Total attacks	6 (average damage = 50)	6	49

This means this combo can be pulled off once per short rest. You can add another CM that costs 1 or 2 exertion (Dangerous strikes, Rake perhaps) and still have a little exertion in the tank.
6 attacks is basically three turns of attacks in one turn at a huge cost. Exertion/attacks ratio is 1.

This is interesting if we compare this to a TWF fighter instead. See the comparison table below:

TWF - longsword, dagger	Maneuver	Exertion	Average damage
Action	Extra attacks (two attacks)	0	(2*4.5)=9
Bonus	Bonus attacks	0	(2*2.5)=5
Reaction	Instinctive Counterattack	1	(2+4.5)=6.5
Total attacks	5	0.2	20.5

Here E/A ratio is 0.2 which is much better but you lose an attack. However, given how the low cost it can be completed 10 times per short rest. This seem to me that TWF really contributes to a lower exertion costs and more flexibility at the cost of power.

To compare both equally we could look at the Damage/Exertion:

1. THW: 49/6 = 8.167
2. TWF: 20.5/1 = 20.5